When film historians sketch the genesis of Marcel L’Herbier’s L’Inhumaine (The Inhuman Woman), readers are typically treated to a familiar show biz story: brilliant young director attempts ambitious, boundary-pushing film, which is botched by the egotistic star (Georgette Leblanc) who controls the … [Read more...] about The Inhuman Woman
The Informer
“This wasn’t Irish stew—it was bouillabaisse mixed with ghoulash.” Many decades after the release of Dublin-set thriller The Informer, a member of the stunt team reflected on the multicultural makeup of this ostensibly British-made film. “Here they were, making a purely Irish story with a German … [Read more...] about The Informer
Il Fuoco
“Our Lady of the Spasms,” was the label critic Nino Frank famously gave to Pina Menichelli for her writhing poses and sudden movements. Her performances, at once dated and strikingly modern, are preserved in the amber tinting and toning characteristic of the so-called “second period” of silent … [Read more...] about Il Fuoco
I Was Born, But…
“I started to make a film about children and ended up with a film about grownups; while I had originally planned to make a fairly bright little story, it changed while I was working on it …. The company hadn’t thought it would turn out this way. They were so unsure of it that they delayed its … [Read more...] about I Was Born, But…
Husbands and Lovers
John M. Stahl is remembered as a master of the Hollywood melodrama, but this vague tribute has long stood in place of any precise understanding of the scope and qualities of his work. He has several strikes against him. The Technicolor noir Leave Her to Heaven (1945), probably his most widely seen … [Read more...] about Husbands and Lovers
Huckleberry Finn
William Desmond Taylor is remembered today more for his unsolved murder in 1922, and the sordid revelations about his private life that followed, than for his once admired film career. So it might come as a surprise to many that this Irish-born director made three well-received films about Mark … [Read more...] about Huckleberry Finn
How I Filmed Nanook of the North
This historical reprint was published in conjunction with the screening of Nanook of the North at SFSFF 2016 The Walrus Hunt As luck would have it the first film to be made was the walrus hunt. From Nanook, I first heard of the “Walrus Island” which is a small island far out at sea and … [Read more...] about How I Filmed Nanook of the North
The House on Trubnaya Square
Soviet filmmaker Boris Barnet made his entrance into motion pictures via the boxing ring, with an improbable set of skills that ultimately proved necessary. It took a lot of rolling with the punches to maintain and sustain a career that began in the post-revolutionary period all the way through the … [Read more...] about The House on Trubnaya Square